Child-proof discharger

ABSTRACT

Child-proof discharger for media, comprising a reservoir (1), a pump part (3), mounted on the reservoir (1) in sealed arrangement via a closure element (2), for pumping medium out of the reservoir (1), an actuable discharge portion (4), which is mounted on the pump part (3) and which is guided in an axially displaceable manner on a carrier part (5) assigned to the closure element (2) in order to execute a lifting motion for the delivery of medium and can be locked with the aid of manually actuable spring bars (12) in at least one blocking setting, wherein the spring bars (12) are configured on an actuating plate (16) configured on the discharge portion (4), and respectively have an inner tongue, which can be bent radially inwards and to which, on an inner wall of the carrier part (5), is respectively assigned a guide ramp as an entry curve to a contact area, bounded by radial latches, of the blocking setting upon a rotary motion of the discharge portion (4).

The invention relates to a child-proof discharger for media according tothe preamble to claim 1.

The invention relates to a child-proof discharger which is intended toprevent children from coming into contact with the content of adischarger. Opening mechanisms which are insurmountable by children aretherefore provided. For some media, national and international laws evenmake the use of child-proof locks mandatory.

DE 101 34 796 A1 discloses a discharger for a medium according to thepreamble to claim 1, which discharger prevents unauthorized access tothe content of the medium in a reservoir, in particular for children. Onthe one hand, unauthorized actuation of a dosing head is precluded dueto a manually releasable locking means. On the other hand, unauthorizedremoval of the entire discharger from the reservoir is also prevented,since a reservoir closure part is blocked by a locking mechanism.

DE 698 03 036 T2 discloses a discharger for a medium, which dischargercomprises a closure device for an outlet region of a storage vessel forthe medium. The closure device has a sleeve-like and internally threadedclosure part, which can be screwed onto an external thread of theneck-shaped outlet region of the storage vessel. In order to prevent theclosure device from being unscrewed again from the outlet region of thestorage vessel and thus obtain a locking mechanism for the screwed-ondischarger and for the medium content of the storage vessel, the closurepart is surrounded by a cap-like locking part. The aim is thereby toprevent unauthorized access to the content of the storage vessel bysimple unscrewing of the closure device.

A drawback is that the locking of a manually actuable pump part by meansof the known spring bars is not sufficiently reliable.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a child-proofdischarger for media, in which unauthorized access to the content of thereservoir is better prevented.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1.

A child-proof discharger in which the function of spring bars iscombined with a rotary motion for moving the discharger in and out of ablocking setting is hereby provided. Such a combined motion, comprisinga pressure component and a rotational component, produces a complexopening mechanism which can be regarded as child-proof.

According to the invention, the spring bars can be configured with aselectable width and faced with a finger pad. The pressure force whichis necessary to release the spring bars from a blocking setting is alsoadjustable.

Further embodiments of the invention can be gleaned from the followingdescription and the sub-claims.

The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to theillustrative embodiments represented in the appended figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows schematically a side view of a child-proof discharger in anupper rest position and locked in a “closed” blocking setting,

FIG. 2 shows schematically a section G-G of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows schematically a section J-J of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 shows schematically a top view of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 shows schematically a section C-C of FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 shows schematically a side view of a child-proof discharger in alower actuating position and unlocked for an “open” actuating operation,

FIG. 7 shows schematically a section H-H of FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 shows schematically a section K-K of FIG. 1,

FIG. 9 shows schematically a top view of FIG. 6,

FIG. 10 shows schematically a section D-D of FIG. 9,

FIG. 11 shows schematically a perspective view of the carrier part,

FIG. 12 shows schematically a top view of the carrier part,

FIG. 13 shows schematically a bottom view of a discharge portionpositioned upside-down,

FIG. 14 shows schematically a top view of FIG. 13,

FIG. 15 shows schematically an exploded representation of thechild-proof discharger,

FIG. 16 shows schematically a path of motion of an inner tongue on theinner marginal region of a carrier part.

The invention relates to a child-proof discharger for media, comprisinga reservoir 1 and a pump part 3, mounted on the, reservoir 1 in sealedarrangement via a closure element 2, for pumping medium out of thereservoir 1. Mounted on the pump part 3 is an actuable discharge portion4, which is guided in an axially displaceable manner on a carrier part 5assigned to the closure element 2 in order to execute a lifting motionfor the delivery of medium. The discharge portion 4 is movable, foractuation of the pump part 3, by an actuation path a between a loweractuating position according to FIG. 10 and an upper rest positionaccording to FIG. 5. In addition, the discharge portion 4 is rotatablein relation to the carrier part 5 about a centre axis X. For theexecution of the translatory motion, preferably axially in theX-direction, and for the execution of the rotary motion of the dischargeportion 4 in relation to the carrier part 5, the discharge portion 4 isfixed to the carrier part 5, preferably via a snap connection 6. Thecarrier part 5 itself is fixed to the closure element 2 by a fasteningdevice 7 in order that the carrier part 5 assumes a preferably fixedposition in relation to the reservoir neck 8. The carrier part 5 and theclosure element 2 can also be configured in one piece.

The closure element 2 can be provided in a known manner with an internalthread, which can be screwed onto an external thread 9 on the reservoirneck 8. A barbed toothing 10 can secure this screw connection andprevent unscrewing. Alternatives to the screw closure are, for instance,flange closures or snap closures. The closure element 2 surrounds thereservoir neck 8 preferably in a sleeve-like manner, which makes it moredifficult to pull off the reservoir neck 8.

The shape of the discharge portion 4 can be chosen according to thepurpose of use. According to FIG. 1 to FIG. 15, the discharge portion 4is configured in the shape of a connecting piece for nasal application.For the dispensing of eye drops, the discharge portion 4 is preferablyconfigured with a shorter connecting piece shape than that which isrepresented.

For the locking of the discharge portion 4 in the upper rest position,as is represented in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the discharge connecting piece 4can be locked with the aid of manually actuable spring bars 11, 12 in atleast one blocking setting 13 on the carrier part 5 in order to preventunauthorized access to the content of the reservoir 1. In the blockingsetting 13, the discharge portion 4 cannot be moved into the loweractuating position. This is only possible if the spring bars 11, 12 arepositioned in an actuating setting 14 relative to the carrier part 5.

The spring bars 11, 12 are configured on a casing ring 15, configured onthe discharge portion 4, of an actuating plate 16, and are preferablytwo oppositely situated spring bars 11, 12. Each spring bar 11, 12respectively has an inner tongue 17, which can be bent by manual actionradially inwards and to which, on an inner wall 21 of the carrier part5, is respectively assigned a peripherally extending guide ramp 18 as anentry curve to a contact area 22, bounded by radial latches 19, 20, as ablocking setting 13 upon rotation of the discharge portion 4 about thecentre axis X.

The contact area 22 preferably has a height at which the inner tongue17, by bearing contact against the contact area 22, holds the dischargeportion 4 in the upper rest position.

The spring bars 11, 12 respectively have an inner tongue 17 and an outertongue 23, which are radially spaced and are preferably arrangedparallel to each other. Between the respectively inner tongue 17 andouter tongue 23 is arranged a wall 24 for a connecting-link-typeguidance of the discharge portion 4 on the carrier part 5, for whichpurpose the said wall has a slot 25 in the lifting direction of thecentre axis X.

The closure element 2 preferably has an axially extending pin 26, whichpenetrates the here sleeve-like carrier part 5 and reaches into an axialguideway 27 of the discharge portion 4 for the axial mounting of thedischarge portion 4 on the closure element 2 upon the lifting motion fordischarge of a medium and upon the rotation into the blocking setting13. Tilting of the discharge portion 4, which could make it easier torelease the blocking setting 13, is thereby avoided.

The guide ramp 18 can define a section in the peripheral direction ofthe preferably round carrier part 5, which section determines a twistangle (3 of the discharge portion 4 in relation to the carrier part 5into the blocking setting 13. The guide ramp 18 also preferably has anend portion 28, which extends into the contact area 22. This end portion28 thus forms a transfer portion, which, via the inlet-side latch 19,guides the respectively inner tongue 17 into the blocking setting 13.Thus a transport into the blocking setting 13 via a sliding surface ofthe transfer portion is further improved.

The contact area 22 can be configured as a multi-material support, whichis advantageous, in particular, from a production engineering aspect.

For a motion of the inner tongue 17 past the radial inlet-side latch 19,the guide ramp 18 can also have a surface widening 29. The inner tongue17, and thus the discharge portion 4, is thereby reliably held in theupper rest position during the rotation of the discharge portion 4,since the inner tongue 17 is reliably prevented from sliding off theguide ramp 18.

The surface widening 29 can be formed, for instance, by an end face of arib 30.

The actuating plate 16 of the discharge portion 4 can have a casing ring15 which can be snapped onto the carrier part 5, for which purpose latchbosses 31 are arranged distributed over the periphery.

The spring bars 11, 12 are preferably formed by axial wall portions ofthe casing ring 15 and are selectable in width and thickness.

The above statements in relation to one spring bar 11, 12 apply equallyto the respectively other spring bar 11, 12.

The working method of the child-proof lock is as follows. By rotation ofthe discharge portion 4 in the upper rest setting, the respectivelyinner tongue 17 can latch via the respective guide ramp 18 into theblocking setting 13. In the upper rest setting, the discharge portion 4is held via a restoring spring of the pump part 5. From this blockingsetting 13 which locks the discharge portion 4, the inner tongues 17 canonly be unlatched by compression of the two spring bars 11, 12. Underthe effect of this pressure motion, the discharge portion 4 can beturned back until the respectively inner tongue 17 makes its way intothe actuating setting 14, where a lifting motion of the dischargeportion 4 is again possible. Preferably, a free end 36 of therespectively inner tongue 17 enters into sliding contact with the guideramp 18 when the discharge portion 4 and the carrier part 5 are twistedrelative to each other, to be precise starting from the upper restsetting, as represented in FIG. 5. The motional path A of an innertongue 17 from the actuating setting 14 into the blocking setting 13 isin FIG. 16 represented schematically on the basis of motion arrows. Forthe release of the tongue 17 from the blocking setting 13, theresistance of the latch 19 must be surmounted, which makes it necessaryfor the spring bars 11, 12 to be compressed. The respective tongue 17 isthereby subjected to an inwardly directed motional component B. Thisenables the respective tongue 17 to be moved back into the actuatingsetting 14.

As FIG. 15 shows, a nozzle insert 32 and a fluid path insert 33 canfinally be inserted in known manner into the discharge portion 4.Lastly, for the protection of a connecting piece 34 of the dischargeportion 4, a protective cap 35 can be removably mounted. As FIG. 13shows, the discharge portion 4 can have a connector 44 for theconnection of the pump part 3.

Instead of two opposing spring bars 11, 12, a greater number of springbars, which are arranged distributed over the periphery, can also beprovided.

The invention claimed is:
 1. Child-proof discharger for media,comprising: a reservoir (1), a pump part (3), mounted on the reservoir(1) in sealed arrangement via a closure element (2), for pumping mediumout of the reservoir (1), and an actuable discharge portion (4) havingan actuating plate (16) and a casing ring (15) extending downwardtherefrom, wherein the discharge portion (4) is mounted on the pump part(3), such that the casing ring is snapped onto a carrier part (5), an isguided in an axially displaceable manner on a carrier part (5) disposedon the closure element (2) in order to execute a lifting motion for thedelivery of medium and which can be locked with the aid of manuallyactuable spring bars (11, 12) in at least one blocking setting (13),wherein the spring bars (11, 12) are configured and disposedcircumferentially in-line with, between, and separated from the casingring (15), wherein the actuating plate (16) is disposed on the dischargeportion (4) and each spring bar (11, 12) includes an outer tongue (23)and an inner tongue (17) each connected together via a link, and furtherwherein the spring bars (11, 12) can each be bent radially inwardsrelative to an inner wall (21) of the carrier part (5), wherein each ofthe respective spring bars (11, 12) is respectively assigned a guideramp (18) as an entry curve to a contact area (22) that is bounded byradial latches (19, 20) of the at least one blocking setting (13) upon arotary motion of the discharge portion (4), wherein the respective innertongues (17) are disposed radially inward of the entirety of the casingring (15), and wherein the spring bars (11, 12) are configured to bebent only when respective links of the spring bars (11, 12) are disposedin a respective slot (25) of the carrier part (5).
 2. Child-proofdischarger according to claim 1, characterized in that the closureelement (2) has a pin (26), which extends axially through the carrierpart (5) and which reaches into an axial guideway (27) of the dischargeportion (4) for the axial mounting of the discharge portion (4) on theclosure element (2).
 3. Child-proof discharger according to claim 1,characterized in that the guide ramp (18) defines a section whichdetermines a twist angle (13) of the discharge portion (4) in relationto the carrier part (5) into the blocking setting (13).
 4. Child-proofdischarger according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide ramp(18) has an end portion (28), which extends into the contact area (22).5. Child-proof discharger according to claim 1, characterized in that,for a motion of the respectively inner tongue (17) over a radial latch(19), the guide ramp (18) has a surface widening (29).
 6. Child-proofdischarger according to claim 5, characterized in that the surfacewidening (29) is formed by an end face of a rib (30).
 7. Child-proofdischarger according to claim 1, characterized in that the closureelement (2) can be screwed, flanged or snapped onto a reservoir neck (8)of the reservoir (1).
 8. Child-proof discharger according to claim 7,characterized in that the closure element (2) surrounds the reservoirneck (8) in a sleeve-like manner.